One day after beginning an official visit to the University of Virginia, 6’5”, 280-pound defensive lineman Dylan Thompson announced his commitment to the Cavaliers. Thompson is foregoing his final year of eligibility at Ohio State to attend UVA as a graduate transfer.
It makes me so happy to announce that I have officially committed to The University of Virginia! I just want to thank everyone who has helped me and supported me along my journey! #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/8lvhUubZOs
— Dylan Thompson (@BRONCODE59) February 24, 2018
As a grad-transfer, Thompson is eligible to play immediately. The Lombard, Illinois native will be called upon to help a Cavalier defensive line that has lost four scholarship players for one reason or another since the end of the 2017 regular season.
Thompson signed with Ohio State as an ESPN 4-star defensive tackle and Rivals, 247Sports, and Scout.com 3-star defensive end in the class of 2014. He redshirted his true freshman season because of a knee injury and would not play his redshirt freshman campaign while still recovering from the injury. After missing the 2016 season because of academics, Thompson returned to the Buckeyes as a non-scholarship player in 2017. He had three tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, in two games as a redshirt junior for the 2017 Big 10 champion Buckeyes.
With Thompson in the fold, Virginia’s 2018 defensive line depth chart looks like this:
– Dylan Thompson, Defensive Lineman, Senior, Graduate transfer in his first and final year at Virginia.
– Eli Hanback, Nose Tackle, Junior, Started all 13 games at nose tackle in 2017 and started 11 games at defensive end in 2016.
– James Trucilla, Defensive Lineman, Junior, Played in seven games, totaling three tackles in 2017. Trucilla played in six games in 2016, totaling four tackles. He has seen time at nose and end.
– Richard Burney, Defensive End, Junior, Former tight end moved to defensive end before the 2017 Military Bowl and is expected to stay there after primarily playing tight end his first two seasons.
– Mandy Alonso, Defensive End, Sophomore, Played in 11 games, starting four, as a true freshman in 2017. Alonso had 14 tackles, including 0.5 sacks.
– John Kirven, Defensive End, Sophomore, Saw action in 10 of 13 games as a true freshman in 2017, finishing with one tackle. Kirven missed the 2017 Military Bowl with a concussion and, as of February 7, had not passed concussion protocol to resume football activities.
– Isaac Buell, Defensive end, Redshirt Freshman. Redshirted in 2017.
– Tommy Christ, Defensive End, Redshirt Freshman. Redshirted in 2017.
– Aaron Faumui, Defensive Lineman, True Freshman
– Samson Reed, Defensive Lineman, True Freshman
– Jordan Redmond, Defensive Lineman, True Freshman
